Ecosystem Science

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a powerful conservation tool that can help to preserve fish populations, sensitive habitats, and entire intact ecosystems. When state and federal agencies choose to protect precious ocean resources with MPAs, PISCO broad-scale research program can provide valuable information about their effects, design, and monitoring.

To manage marine resources sustainably, one must understand how the ocean ecosystem changes over time, across different regions, and in response to human activities. PISCO’s collaborative research program provides a broad view of marine ecosystems to help managers make sustainable decisions in a rapidly changing world.

Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing fundamental changes to coastal ecosystems. Dead zones and ocean acidification are two major climate change threats facing the ocean on the west coast of North America. PISCO’s research on physical oceanography, ecology, and marine physiology provides a unique platform for understanding the causes and consequences of both.